Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CUTTER ASSEMBLY FOR EXTRUDING SHAPED FOOD PIECES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an extruder cutter assembly for
extruding filled
food pieces. More particularly, the present invention relates to an extruder
cutter
assembly, which includes an extrusion member having a filling tube therein and
a cutter
member for cutting extrudate exiting the extrusion member to form a filled
food piece
having the shape of a natural food piece.
2. Description of Background Art
[0002] Extruders for producing extruded food pieces are known. Such extruders
can
conventionally include a pressure vessel for containing, under pressure, a
mash of the food
to be extruded. Furthermore, pressure exerting means for maintaining pressure
in the
pressure vessel, a manifold in fluid communication with the pressure vessel,
and an
extruder cutter assembly, generally located underneath the pressure vessel, in
fluid
communication with the manifold can be included. The extruded food is cut to
size by the
extruder cutter assembly.
[0003] Food products that can be extruded in such extruders include, e.g.,
meats,
poultry, seafood, cereal grains, vegetables, fruits, and solid dairy products.
As specific
examples, the mash may be prepared from beef, chicken, shrimp, wheat, corn,
rice,
potatoes, apples, and cheese.
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The food is ground to a particle size consistent with forming a fluid mash,
e.g.,
particle sizes that will pass through a U. S. Screen Series No. 5 screen, more
usually a No. 10
screen, and often a No. 20 screen up to about a No. 100 screen.
Water or other dispersing liquids, e.g., 3% to 70%, may be added to the ground
food in order to produce a liquid mash. Binders, flavors, preservatives,
colors, stabilizers,
antioxidants, and the like may be added to the mash, in conventional amounts.
Most often, a
gelling material is added to the mash, e.g., a settable gum or pectate, for
example, guar gum
and sodium alginate, in conventional amounts of about 0.1 % to 25%. The gum or
pectate is
set by a gelling agent, e.g., a 0.5% to 10% solution of calcium chloride and
sodium alginate.
The present inventor has invented an extruder cutter assembly for extruding a
food piece in the shape of a natural food piece. In U. S. Patent No. 5,773,
043, an extruder
cutter assembly includes an extrusion member and a tubular cutter member for
cutting
extrudate exiting the extrusion member. However, the '043 Patent does not
include a filling
tube for extruding a filling along with a mash of food to be cut with the
cutter member.
The present inventor has also invented an extruder cutter assembly for
extruding foodstuff containing a filling. In U. S. Application No. 09/576,766
filed on
May 24, 2000, an extruder cutter assembly includes an extension formed on the
extrusion
member and a filling tube to allow for the extrudate to exit the extruder
cutter assembly from
the side. This extruder is directed to the formation of a foodstuff in stick
form, not in the
shape of a natural food piece as in the present invention. Accordingly, it is
necessary to
include the extension on both cutter member and the extrusion member, which is
not
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included in the cutter assembly of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an extruder cutter
assembly,
which makes up for the above deficiencies of the background art. Specifically,
it is an object
of the present invention to provide an extruder cutter assembly, which can
form an extruded
product having a filling in the shape of a natural food piece.
In order to accomplish the above objects of the present invention, an extruder
cutter assembly according to the present invention comprises:
an elongated extrusion member having an opened feed end, said opened feed
end being attachable in fluid communication with a first manifold of the
extruder for
supplying a mash to said elongated extrusion member;
a filling tube extending through said elongated extrusion member, said filling
tube being attachable to a second manifold of the extruder for supplying a
filling to said
filling tube;
an extrusion die formed in said elongated extrusion member, said extrusion die
being shaped to the general shape of a natural food piece; and
a cutter member having an opened drivable end, an elongated cutter wall, and
an opened cutter end with a cutting surface for cutting extrudate to a desired
length as the
extrudate exits the die, said cutting surface being shaped to the general
shape of said
extrusion die, and said cutter member being disposed at least partially over
and reciprocally
slidable on the extrusion wall and operably connectable at the drivable end to
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a drive device of the extruder for reciprocatably sliding the cutting surface
of the cutter
member over and away from the extrusion die.
[0014] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become
apparent
from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be
understood that the
detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred
embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and
modifications
within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art
from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The present invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed
description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by
way of
illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and
wherein:
[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the extruder cutter assembly of the
present
invention;
[0017] Figure 2 is a front elevation of the extruder cutter assembly of the
present
invention illustrating the "ready to cut" state;
[0018] Figure 3 is a front elevation of the extruder cutter assembly of the
present
invention illustrating the "after cut" state; and
[0019] Figure 4 is a cross-section of the extruder cutter assembly of the
present
invention along line 4-4 of Figure 3;
[0020] Figure 5 is a front elevation of the annular extrusion member of the
present
invention;
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[0021] Figure 6 is a front elevation of the tubular cutter member of the
present invention;
and
[0022] Figure 7 is a top view of Figure 4 of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying
drawings in which the same reference numerals have been used to identify the
same or similar
elements.
[0024] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the extruder cutter assembly 1 of the
present invention in
the "ready to cut" state. Referring to Figures 1-2, the extruder cutter
assembly I includes an
elongated annular extrusion member 9 and a tubular cutter member 14. The
annular
extrusion member 9 has a generally tubular extrusion wall 10 (see Figure 4) on
which the
tubular cutter member 14 is mounted for reciprocation to cut extrudate exiting
the die 11
formed in the tubular extrusion wall 10. The die 11 is formed by a through
hole of a
predetermined shape of a natural food piece. In the figures, the natural food
piece is a chicken
drummy; however, it should be understood to one having ordinary skill in the
art that the die
can be formed in other shapes as well.
[0025] Referring to Figure 4, it is advantageous to apply a Nedox coating to
the die 11.
The Nedox coating is applied to at least a bottom of the elongated extrusion
member 9 prior
to the formation of the through hole, which forms the die 11. The die is then
cut out to the
general shape of a desired food piece. This process results in a very sharp
edge on the die 11.
It has been found by the present inventor that the sharp edge remains sharp
for an extended
period of time when the Nedox coating is applied prior to cutting the die,
rather
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than after. This is due to the fact that the application of a Nedox coating
after the die is cut
actually dulls the cutting edge.
[0026] The extrusion member 9 has a closed end 13 and an opened feed end 12
(see
Figure 4). The extruder cutter assembly 1 of the present invention is
attachable to an extruder,
such as the extruder described in the above-mentioned U. S. Patent No. 5,773,
043.
Accordingly, the extruder will not be described in detail. The open feed end
12 is attachable
in fluid communication to a manifold (not shown) by, for example, a threaded
flange 15. The
manifold is connectable to a pressure vessel (not shown) for containing a mash
under pressure
by a pressure-asserting device (not shown).
[0027] Further to this, it is preferable that the extruder cutter assembly 1
of the present
invention be a 1 3/4" or a 2" diameter assembly. A 2" diameter assembly would
be the
maximum diameter supportable by, for example, the above-mentioned extruder.
However, it
should be understood to one having ordinary skill in the art that an assembly
of a larger or
smaller diameter is within the scope of the present invention. The use of
larger diameter
assemblies can be accomplished by modifying the extruder itself to provide a
larger distance
between assemblies. Alternatively, a larger diameter assembly can be
accomplished by
providing an assembly on every other attachment, with alternating attachments
being closed
off.
[0028] A filling tube 20 extends through an internal passageway 17 of the
annular
extrusion member 9. The filling tube 20 includes a filling tube extension 21,
which extends
through the extrusion wall 10 of the annular extrusion member 9. The extrusion
wall 10
includes a pair of holes 23 and 25 for receiving the filling tube extension
21. A hole 27
includes a setscrew 28, for example, therein to secure the filling tube
extension 21 in place.
An o-ring can be used to seal between the filling tube extension 21 and the
holes
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23 and 25 to ensure that filling material does not seep into the internal
passageway 17 of
the annular extrusion member 9. The filling tube 20 is also in fluid
communication with a
second manifold (not shown), which is connectable to a second pressure vessel
(not
shown) for containing a filling under pressure by a second pressure exerting
device (not
shown) via the filling tube extension 21.
[0029] It is noted that the manifolds are included in the embodiment described
above
for distributing the mash and the filling to a plurality of extruder cutter
assemblies.
However, if only one extruder cutter assembly is to be used, the necessity of
the manifolds
is eliminated.
[0030] It should also be understood that the extruder cutter assembly 1 of the
present
invention can also be operated in a reverse manner. Specifically, providing a
mash to the
filling tube 20 and a sauce or filling to the internal passageway 17 can form
a very unique
food product having a coating on the outside. Of course, in this example, the
relative sizes
of the filling tube 20 and the internal passageway 17 may have to be modified
in order to
obtain a desired product.
[0031] The tubular cutter member 14 has an open drivable end 29, an elongated
cutter
wall 31, and an open cutter end 33. The open cutter end 33 includes a cutting
surface 35
for cooperating with the die 11 in the extrusion wall 10 to cut and crimp
extrudate to a
desired length as the extrudate exits the extrusion member 9. The cutting
surface 35
should be formed at an angle between 25 to 90 to a surface of the extrusion
wall 10.
[0032] Referring to Figure 2, the cutting surface 35 is shaped to the general
configuration of the die 11 as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent
No. 5,773,043
in order to obtain a more natural looking food piece. In addition, referring
to Figure 4, it is
preferred that an end 22 of the filling tube 20 be bent toward the die 11.
This ensures that
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the filling exits the die 11 in a smooth and consistent manner through a
center of the die
11. It is preferable that the filling tube be bent at an angle of 10 ;
however, the specific
bend to the filling tube 20 will depend on a particular application.
Furthermore, an
opening 24 of the filling tube 20 can advantageously be shaped to the general
shape of the
die 11. For example, referring to Figure 5, the opening 24 of the filling tube
20 is
lengthened in the length direction of the die 11.
[0033] In addition, although not illustrated in the figures, the opening 24
can also be
increased in the width direction as well, depending on the application. For
example, in
Figure 5, the die 11 is in the shape of a chicken drummy. Therefore, the left
side of the
opening 24 should be wider than the right side in order to ensure that more
filling is
supplied to the wider portion of the resulting chicken drummy. It should also
be
understood to one having ordinary skill in the art that the shape of the
opening 24 will
depend on the shape of the die 11. Specifically, shaping the opening 24 to the
general
shape of the die 11 will result in a more evenly filled food piece.
[0034] Referring again to Figure 2, the elongated cutter wall 31 of the
tubular cutter
member 14 includes two cut-out portions 37 formed on an outside surface
thereof adjacent
the open drivable end 29. The cut-out portions 37 are for receiving the
operable end of a
drive device (not shown) in order to reciprocate the cutter member 14 in
cooperation with
the die 11. The drive device can be any well known device for reciprocating
the cutter
member 14. It is also possible to provide a groove (not shown) around the
outer
circumference of the annular extrusion member 9 instead of the cut-out
portions 37 as
would be understood to one having ordinary skill in the art. However, if a
groove is used,
it will be necessary to also include a mechanism for ensuring that the cutting
surface 35
remains aligned with the die 11.
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[0035] It is noted that the extrusion wall 10 and the cutter member 14 are
illustrated
having cooperating circular tubular shapes; however, it can be readily
understood to one
having ordinary skill in the art that they may be made in other cooperating
shapes as well.
All that is necessary is for the cutter member 14 to have an inside diameter
of generally
the same size and shape as the outside diameter and shape of the extrusion
wall 10 to
allow the cutting member 14 to reciprocate in a sliding manner on the outside
of the
extrusion wall 10.
[0036] The operation of the extruder cutter assembly of the present invention
will now
be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 illustrates the
"ready to cut" state,
while Figure 3 illustrates the "after cut" state. It should be noted that the
"after cut" state
can actually be beyond the closed end 13 of the extrusion member 9. Referring
to Figure
2, the mash is forced through the open feed end 12 of the extrusion member 9
from the
pressure vessel for containing a mash of food while the cutter member 14 is in
the upper
position. The filling is also forced through the filling tube extension 21 and
the filling
tube 20 from the pressure vessel for containing filling. As noted above, if a
plurality of
extruder cutter assemblies is used, the mash and filling are also fed through
first and
second manifolds, respectively, for distributing the mash and filling to the
extruder cutter
assemblies.
[0037] The mash and filling merge together in the internal passageway 17 and
are
forced through the die 11. Once a predetermined length of extrudate is fed
through the die
11, the cutter member 14 is moved from the position illustrated in Figure 2 to
the position
illustrated in Figure 3 to cut the extrudate to the predetermined length. The
movement of
the cutter member 14 drives the cutting surface 35 into cooperation with the
die 11 in
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order to cut the extrudate and crimp the extrudate to ensure that the filling
remains within
the extruded food product after being cut.
[0038] The above operation occurs continuously with the extrudate exiting the
die 11
and being cut by the reciprocating cutter member 14 in order to produce food
products of a
predetermined length.
[0039] It should be noted that the filling tube 20 can be removed from the
filling tube
extension 21. This allows for the filling tube 20 to be replaced with a
filling tube 20
having a passageway of a different shape. This allows the possibility of
matching the
shape of the opening 24 in the filling tube 20 with the die 11 in the
extrusion member 9.
This provides the advantage of increasing the consistency in the filing of the
resulting
extruded food product. The possibility of removing the filling tube 20 from
the filling
tube extension 21 and the filling tube 21 from the extrusion member 9 also
allows for easy
cleaning of the extruder cutter assembly 1.
[0040] The cutter member 14 is disposed at least partially over and
reciprocally
slidable on the tubular extrusion wall 10 and is operably connected at the
drivable end to a
drive device for reciprocatably sliding the cutter member over and away from
the die 11.
The rate of number of strokes per minute (down and up) at which the cutter
member can
operate can range from 40 strokes/minute through 700 strokes/minute.
[0041] The pressure in the pressure vessel will vary considerably from mash to
mash
and die to die, but pressures of 1 to 250 psig are normally used, especially
with the usual
mash temperatures of 25 F to 75 F. Water or other dispersing liquids, e.g., 3%
to 70%,
may be added to the ground food in order to produce a liquid mash. Binders,
flavors,
preservatives, colors, stabilizers, antioxidants, and the like may be added to
the mash, in
conventional amounts. Most often, a gelling material is added to the mash,
e.g., a settable
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gum or pectate, for example, guar gum and sodium alginate, in conventional
amounts of
about 0.1% to 25%. The gum or pectate is set by a gelling agent, e.g., a 0.5%
to 10%
solution of calcium chloride and sodium alginate.
[0042] The length of individual products extruded in accordance with the
present
invention will depend upon both the rate at which the cutter member operates
and the rate
at which the product is extruded, the latter being a function of the viscosity
of the product
in the pressure vessel and the pressure being applied to that product.
[0043] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same
may be
varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the spirit
and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to
one skilled
in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following
claims.
